East Kalimantan Education and Culture Office Outlines Four Efforts for Equitable Education Quality

Samarinda (ANTARA) - The East Kalimantan Provincial Education and Culture Office has outlined four efforts to ensure equitable distribution and improvement of education quality in the Benua Etam region.

“We continue to strive to build human resources through various flagship education programmes,” said Acting Head of the East Kalimantan Education and Culture Office, Armin, in Samarinda on Wednesday.

He explained that the first effort is the Gratispol Programme, which provides complete school uniforms along with learning equipment for new Year 10 students at SMA/SMK/MA and SLB levels.

The second effort is realised through the equitable provision of provincial-level school operational assistance funds (BOSP) to all general and special education levels.

Meanwhile, the third effort involves optimising the role of the elite SMA Negeri 10 Samarinda as the Sekolah Garuda Transformasi.

“The Sekolah Garuda has a significant impact, one of which is that this year, 30 high-achieving students from the school have been accepted to continue their higher education abroad,” Armin said.

The local government has also designated three elite schools as the main pilot projects for developing a bilingual schooling system in East Kalimantan, comprising SMA Negeri 2 Sangatta Utara, SMA Negeri 3 Tenggarong, and SMA Negeri 1 Balikpapan.

The fourth effort sees the East Kalimantan Education and Culture Office implementing a substitute teacher policy to promptly fill gaps in educator shortages at educational units, especially in remote areas.

“Educational units are now given full authority to propose substitute teachers using funding from BOSP allocations,” Armin said.

He reminded the public of the importance of the academic sector’s role in ensuring a brilliant future for the nation.

He emphasised that only through quality education can an individual’s fate and life path be changed for the better.